T.A. Noonan

Dorothy Hamill Defends Her Vioxx Statement in Court



1: Claim

I’ve told this story before:
one woman, one paycheck,
just one testimony. That’s the truth.
Doesn’t matter who or what, except

one woman and one paycheck.
Maybe it’s me, maybe not. Really
doesn’t matter who or what—except
making a statement. I support that.

Maybe it’s me, maybe not. Really,
the commercial, sir? Yes. I had to
make my statement: I support that
product. People trust me because I’m

the commercial, sir. Yes, I had to
move as I once did. My legs are
products. People trust me because I’m
famous. It’s good news: now arthritics

move as I once did. My legs are
walking advertisements; bodies, my
fame. Oh, it’s good news. Now arthritics,
they bend, fall like children. They’re

walking advertisements, bodies. My
words are nothing. Forget that
they bend and fall. Like children, their
pain travels from bone to heart.

Words are nothing. No, forget that
testimony. The truth is, just one
pain travels from bone to heart
because I’ve told the story before.


2: Counterclaim

I’ve told that story before:
pain travels from bone to heart
as one. Just testimony? The truth is,
words are nothing. No, forget that

pains travel from bone to heart,
bend, fall like children. There,
words are nothing. Forget that
walking advertisement. Bodies? My,

they bend and fall like children. They’re
famous. It’s good news. Now arthritics
—walking advertisements, bodies—
move as I once did. My legs are

famous. It’s good news: now arthritics
produce. People trust me because I
move as I once did. My legs are
the commercial, sir. Yes, I have to

produce. People trust me because I
make a statement; I support that
commercial, sir. Yes, I have to.
Maybe it’s me, maybe not. Really

making a statement—I support that.
Doesn’t matter who or what. Except
maybe it’s me, maybe not. Really,
I’m one woman. One paycheck

doesn’t matter. Who or what I accept
is just one truth. That’s the testimony
of a woman whose one paycheck
has told this story before.

T.A. Noonan's first collection, The Bone Folders, won the Heartland Poetry Prize and is forthcoming from Cracked Slab Books. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Ninth Letter, No Tell Motel, The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol. II: Mississippi, Phoebe, RHINO, Specs, Harpur Palate, and many others. Currently, she lives, writes, and teaches on Florida’s First Coast.